Strycova, Kenin to open Fed Cup final, Kvitova battling sickness

Czech Barbara Strycova (L) eyes her opponent for Saturday's opening rubber, American Sofia Kenin, as both stand next to the Fed Cup trophy which will be decided this weekend

Czech Barbara Strycova (L) eyes her opponent for Saturday's opening rubber, American Sofia Kenin, as both stand next to the Fed Cup trophy which will be decided this weekend. (AFP Photo/Michal Cizek)

Prague (AFP) - Barbora Strycova will launch the Czech Republic's Fed Cup victory bid on Saturday when she faces American Sofia Kenin in the opening match on Saturday.

Czech ambitions to claim an 11th title have been dampened with the loss of both Karolina Pliskova (injury) and Petra Kvitova, who is sick but hoping to recover in time for Sunday.

Strycova, the 33rd-ranked Czech number two, will hope to put the first point on the board when she faces 19-year-old Kenin, who is still in search of her maiden WTA singles title, on the hardcourt of Prague's O2 Arena at 1300 GMT on Saturday.

Katerina Siniakova, the world number 31, will then face 63rd-ranked Alison Riske in Saturday's second rubber.

Siniakova has replaced seventh-ranked Kvitova as the Czech number one after the two-time Wimbledon champion pulled out of Saturday's singles with a bad cold.